OJCIEC (Portrait of the Artist's Father)

As a young artist Roszak was focused on becoming a master draftsman, and it was only later in his career that he, engaged by abstraction, became a sculptor. During these early years—in the 1920s and early 1930s—Roszak produced numerous drawings and lithographs reflecting life within the Polish community of Chicago. Many of the lithographs depict his friends and family, including this profile portrait of his father, Kaspar. The subject’s bushy eyebrows and stern expression underscore his power as well as his son’s admiration.